Tag Archives: Week 6 Fantasy Football

As an elementary PE teacher, I am confronted daily with situations that make me question not only my chosen profession but also the direction of society as a whole. The notion of socially acceptable behavior is largely unknown among the elementary population and this leads to some rather interesting (and occasionally amusing) situations. Allow me to turn back the clock a few days and bring you all along for the odyssey that was my Tuesday afternoon kindergarten class. Things started out well as students came in and exhibited varying levels of awkwardness in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns. And then … disaster. About 10 minutes into the lesson one of the more quiet little girls in class raised her hand and simultaneously began to cry. Our subsequent exchange went something like this:

Me: “Yes, Tabitha? … What’s wrong?”

Tabitha: “I have to go to the bathroom!”

Me: “Of course you may go to the bathroom, let me get you the pass” (turns around to pick up bathroom pass).

As I rushed Tabitha across the remaining expanse of gym floor (a strategy I immediately realized was deeply flawed as I looked back at the Niagra-like torrent of urine she was leaving behind), I considered the wonderful simplicity of the kindergarten mind. Tabitha’s singular focus on throwing and catching a yarn ball shut out all other impulses. Even the imminent call of nature could not distract her from the task at hand. Imagine what we as fantasy players could achieve if only we didn’t have the distractions of daily life. Without jobs, appointments, meetings, wives, girlfriends or children we men would be free to eat meat, piss ourselves and dominate our fantasy leagues. Despite the obvious social and hygienic consequences, there are times when I miss that singular focus that only a kindergartner’s mind can produce. Without further ado, I give you my waiver suggestions for week 6 … because there is still something to be said for taking a leak on the floor.

Thing 1: This QB took over as the starter following a move to a new city this past offseason. Over the last two weeks he has completed 71% of his passes for 388 yards and 5 TDs and 1 INT and is owned in 98% of ESPN leagues.

Thing 2: This QB took over as the starter following an injury to the opening day signal-caller. Over the last two weeks he has completed 71% of his passes for 356 yds and 3 TDs (0 INTs) and is owned in 3% of ESPN leagues.

Reality Check: Thing 1 is Jay Cutler and Thing 2 is Chad Henne. I was not a big believer in Henne coming out of Michigan but he just may be that rare QB that is a better pro than he was a college player (fellow Wolverine Tom Brady, for example). Henne has improved his completion percentage, passing yards, touchdowns and QB rating over each of the last three weeks and has some nice matchups come fantasy playoff time (Jax, Ten, Hou). Cutler is a proven star and I expect him to put up better numbers than Henne the rest of the way, but in weeks 14-16 he faces the Packers at home, the Ravens in Baltimore, and the Vikings at home. They don’t call Chicago the windy city for nothing and December will be a tough month for Cutler to rack up fantasy points through the air.

Thing 1: This RB has received 27 touches and has totaled 71 yards and 0 TDs over the last two weeks (2.6 ypt). He is currently the lead option in a RBBC and is owned in 94% of ESPN leagues.

Thing 2: This RB has received just 9 touches over the past two weeks but has totalled 51 yards (5.7 ypt). He is currently the tail end of a RBBC and is owned in 1% of ESPN leagues.

Reality Check: Thing 1 is Julius Jones and Thing 2 is Justin Forsett. Jones has averaged barely 2.5 ypc over his last two contests and has shown little playmaking ability or burst in the process. Although the return of QB Matt Hasselbeck should help open up the running lanes for Jones and recent addition Edgerrin James, Forsett is the only member of this backfield committee that has real big-play potential. His contributions in the receiving game and returning kicks also add some intrigue to Forsett’s value, especially in PPR leagues. If one (or both) of his backfield mates misses time with an injury, be sure to pounce on the former Golden Bear and his 6+ ypc average.

Thing 1: In weeks 2-5, this WR has compiled 14 receptions for 203 yards and 0 TDs. His production has been decent this season but not what his owners had hoped for after a big week 1 showing. He is owned in 99% of ESPN leagues.

Thing 2: In weeks 2-5, this WR has compiled 13 receptions for 214 yards and 1 TD. His production has been a pleasant surprise for his team and he is rapidly becoming a fantasy factor. He is owned in 3% of ESPN leagues.

Reality Check: Thing 1 is Santonio Holmes and Thing 2 is Mike Wallace. The Steelers have been very pleased with their rookie wideout from Ole Miss. Wallace has taken a solid hold on the #3 WR spot in Pittsburgh, leap-frogging Limas Sweed in the process. Ben Roethlisberger is a QB that likes to spread the wealth so although Wallace’s production may not be steady, I expect his role to continue to expand as he has shown the ability to make tough catches in traffic as well as getting behind the defense to make plays down the field. If you are looking for a bye-week fill-in, Wallace could offer some nice value over the next few weeks beginning with a solid matchup against the Cleveland Browns this weekend.

Thing 1: This veteran TE has reeled in 14 passes for 142 yards and 1 TD over his past three games. As the season progresses this player should develop more chemistry with his QB. He is owned in 100% of ESPN leagues.

Thing 2: This young TE has hauled in 10 passes for 184 yards and 1 TD over his past three games. As the season progresses this player should also develop the chemistry with his QB. He is owned in 15% of ESPN leagues.

Reality Check: Thing 1 is Tony Gonzalez and Thing 2 is Jermichael Finley. The 22-year-old Finley has made some dramatic strides in his second full season with the Packers. Although his blocking is still a work in progress, his playmaking ability is considerable (as evidenced by his huge Monday night performance against the Vikings). With defenses keying on Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, Finley should continue to find a lot of room to operate in the middle of the field and so far Aaron Rodgers looks like he will take advantage of the mismatches. There is still some boom-or-bust risk here as Finley was held without a catch in a week 3 matchup with St. Louis, but my advice is to take a chance on the upside while you can. The Packers had their bye in week 5 so health-permitting Finley is a tight end you can get cheap and plug in for the rest of the season.

The old man made it two weeks in a row, but at least it stayed in family again. Despite Red Red and Josh’s fantasy genius, neither has found a top spot in any one week this year. But I’m not settling for 2nd, getting the top spot three straight weeks to start the season felt a lot nicer than two straight 2nd place finishes. I’m out for the glory in Week 6. There are some more gross games that you’d like to stay away from this week (Rams/Redskins for one) and some great ones that fantasy should shine in. Here are the predictions for Week 6’s Fantasy Football action. Let the ghost of Drew Bledsoe in Patriot-ic red, white, and blue and his chubby 7th grader-like athleticism shine through with rapture, lead me back to the promise land you dopey Cougar!!!

Elite Starters: Guys picked early that I love this week…

1. DeAngelo Williams – It’s a shot in the dark, maybe, and Williams hasn’t been great this year, but Tampa calls…
2. Randy Moss – Tennessee Titans. Remember the Titans? Remember how they had a great secondary last year. Forget that.
3. Maurice Jones-Drew – He struggled last week, but in comes St. Louis to quell all problems.
4. Tom Brady – I’m starting to like anyone against the Titans secondary, but Tom has a special place in my heart.
5. Brandon Marshall – The big talented kid has seemingly figured it out, and that means bad things for San Diego.

Solid Starters: Guys picked in middle rounds that should outplay their ranking/draft position this week…

1. Matt Hasselbeck – Arizona really doesn’t let you run it, but they sure allow you to pass it. Matty can do that.
2. T.J. Housmandzadeh – If you like Matt this week, and I do, you have to like T.J.
3. Cedric Benson – This cat is running down hill. He put up a big number on Baltimore, Houston should fall like dominoes.
4. Brett Favre – A lot of people will be confused and sit Brett against Baltimore, should be one of this better throwing games.
5. Wes Welker – I think Welker has 10 or more catches for at least 100 yards this week. That’s 20 points and a great day.

Sleeper Starters: Guys ranked low, drafted low or not at all, but I still like them this week…

1. Nate Burleson – There was no reason for him to go undrafted in most leagues, he’s a weekly starter, this week should be great.
2. Donnie Avery – The kid is finally getting healthy and he can fly, Jacksonville struggles to stop even kiwi bird air attacks.
3. Rashard Mendenhall – I’ll ride this super sophomore until he lets me down, especially against the league’s worst run D.
4. Kyle Orton – The Chargers let opponents have their way, and Josh McDaniels likes to throw the rock. Good for Orton owners.
5. Eddie Royal – I love me some Eddie Royal this week against San Diego, especially since he saw 15 targets last week.

Sit ‘Em Son: I don’t care where they were drafted, I don’t like these guys starting this week…

1. Fred Jackson – It’s going to be tough for me to play Fred much, Lynch gets more carries and more receptions.
2. Vincent Jackson – An impossible guy to sit on most teams, but if you have other solid options, I think he struggles.
3. Julius Jones – Hopefully you listened to Red Red Ryan and traded him when he had value, AZ won’t allow much.
4. Santonio Holmes – Because why would the Steelers pass more than 20 times when they could run to victory easily?
5. Steve Slaton – In a non-ppr league, I think you sit Slaton. If it’s PPR, don’t expect a great day, but could be playable.

As promised, the questions keep coming in (and I’m still kicking) so I’ll share them with the rest of you. As always, you can email any football questions to papaweimer50@hotmail.com – working hard to dream big! Hope these tidbits help!

David wonders, “Would you rather have Mario Manningham or Anthony Gonzalez?”

I’d rather have Anthony Gonzalez, and it’s not only because I thought he was going to be a good player prior to the season – but that has something to do with it. I’m a firm believer that you need to have good reason to lose interest or belief in a player you expected big things from in any given year. Giving up on a guy because he was injured doesn’t seem to be right. Gonzo went down early, and since then every time I see Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie put up big numbers, I think to myself how right I could be about Gonzo if the injury bug didn’t whack him on the head. I like Manningham, don’t get me wrong, the kid is fast, runs good routes, is tough to tackle, and gets the ball – but I believe he’ll get fewer catches with Hakeem Nicks becoming more and more a part of the Giants offense. Gonzalez has a chance to be a decent #2 receiver, where I don’t think Manningham will be a consistent WR this season, and is probably no better than a #3 or Flex. When you’re making a play on a guy, go for upside, and I think Anthony has that. Long answer shortened, I’d rather have Gonzo.

Stuck in a Trailer writes, “Here’s a question for you- should I dump Glen Coffee he has a bye week and then Gore returns, I could pick up TE for my TE bye week or a decently dropped Def or some receiver or RB who might be on the waiver wire worth picking up, Thoughts?”

Yeah, I think that’s a good move. Unless you’re hurting for RB options, I think Coffee isn’t a must have. It was said to me that Gore actually wanted to play last week, not sure what that means, but what it says to me is he’ll definitely be back when football moves forward for the 49ers, and Coffee hasn’t set the world on fire. Coffee is solid, but if you can pick up a player that will help you in the future, I think dropping him is a good move. Especially if you get a pretty good guy that somebody had to drop to fill a bye week spot. It’s always tough to drop players that have been consistent for you, but sometimes that’s the best move.

Isaac Melgoza from Santa Ana California first thanked me for giving him Chris Johnson last season, told me he digs the site, gave me his team, receivers and running backs (Burleson, Berrian, Boldin, Sims-Walker, Maningham and LT, Steven Jackson, Jerome Harrison, Glen Coffee) and his league scoring settings (We start 2 RBs and 3 WRs. 2 points for 25 yards rushing or receiving, 10 points for every TD, 20 points for a TD of 50 or more) and asked me, “Would you trade LT, Sims-Walker, and Manningham for AP and Steve Smith (Carolina)? Would you still do the deal if it was Derrick Mason and another receiver plus AP for those three guys? Am I giving up too much? Would you counter offer? Thanks for the help!”

Isaac, thanks for the question, and I’m glad you benefited from Chris last season. You know, it’s crazy, a ton of people have written in for the first time this season starting off by thanking me for Chris Johnson, pretty funny. Gotta love it. I assume next year new readers will write in thanking me for nothing with Anthony Gonzalez and Eddie Royal, haha, but they still have time to prove me right! Hope you keep enjoying the site!

As for the trade, I think Sims Walker, Manningham, and LT for AP and Steve Smith would be a huge win for you. Even Derrick Mason wouldn’t be too shabby, he’s, at the very least, a very consistent guy. But he never catches a lot of touchdowns, so in a league like yours he’s not too great. I like Sims Walker a lot, but he’s not an upgrade over Steve Smith, in my opinion. Sure, through 5 weeks he has more points, and he’s been great in games as a starter, but Steve Smith, shoot, we’re talking about one of the baddest receivers in the league. He has 40+ targets through 4 games, and soon enough that will result in big point totals. LT should be decent the rest of the season, but he definitely looks like he’s trying too hard, and he’s no Adrian Peterson at this point in his career. AP hasn’t been great besides week 1, either, but I like his upside. He should actually be better against teams that keep the game close, because the Vikings won’t ride him hard if they don’t need to, obviously they are trying to keep him healthy. I think a line-up of McNabb, A MF’in P, Steven Jackson, Boldin, Burelson, Steve Smith or D. Mason, with some solid upside back-up WRs like you have is a good move. I’d keep Flacco, he’s a great back-up, especially with McNabb and his injury question marks over the years. You starting line-up should contend for a championship. Don’t get me wrong, your team is solid as is, but AP is a huge upgrade at a position where you haven’t gotten great production thus far. Go for it! Thanks again for the write-in, love to give you my answers anytime.

Miguel explains his situation and asks, “I need some fantasy help from a guru! I am in a PPR league where we start 2 QBs, 3 WRs, 2 RBs, and a TE for our main offense.Rogers, Henne, and Edwards as my QBs – TO, Berrian, Burleson, Boldin, and Massaqoui for WR – Slaton, Jacobs, Chester Taylor, and LeSean McCoy at RB – Shockey and Heap at TE. I was offered a trade of Favre and LT in exchange for Rogers and Berrian. Is this something I should jump on? Byes might be a problem as LT and Slaton are gone in Week 10… “

Miguel, I would stick with Rogers and Berrian I think, Rogers is an elite passer, and should have huge games. Brett will be decent, but I think that Minnesota offense will continue to rely heavily on the run game, and getting rid of Rogers is a very tough deal. Burleson and Boldin are elite receivers this season, both will continue to get high targets, and I expect Boldin to be even better as the season moves forward. So you’re pretty good there. And depending on match-up, TO, Berrian, and Massaquoi are nice 3rd WR options.

The problem with the trade is that I don’t think it makes either position better, and if you’re not improving somewhere, why make a deal, right? If you only start 2 running backs, I think Jacobs and Slaton should be solid as the season goes forward, I hardly expect Jacobs to continue his low yard per carry output, he should get better. Slaton will continue to be a solid play as the season goes forward, good PPR guy and a solid runner. LT is decent, but he will share carries and has had a tough time with aches and pains of late. I would rank Jacobs and Slaton ahead of LT from now until the end of the season. And obviously I would rank Rogers higher than Favre. LT would give you depth, but with Chester Taylor and McCoy, you have two upside guys that could produce in a crunch. Keep your stud QB, who has even more value in a 2 QB league, and I think your team would be better off. The byes are a tough deal, but by week 10 you might have a starting RB in McCoy, and maybe even some numbers form Chester, or you could find a back-up for an injured starter somewhere along the line. Don’t worry about byes quite yet. Hope that helps!

It’s been a pretty busy week for me in fantasy football with answering questions for week 6. No doubt the listing of my email address last week (papaweimer50@hotmail.com) was just the trick I needed to be in here hunting and pecking for the right words to answer questions. I’ve listed some late questions and answers from last week’s stuff below, I also have some relevant questions for this weeks fantasy football action. If you have questions, ask them. If I get enough by later in the week, I’ll post my questions and answers again in Ask Papa Weimer Week 6, section b or 2 or something of the sort. Stop trying to confuse me. I’m witty folks, unflappable like Tiger and Larry Bird and Michael Jordan put into one chubby old white dude. I call it how I see it!

Last Week’s Late Questions:

Michael from Denmark wrote in, “I play in a points league, that also awards receptions. I’m pretty well set in most positions, but have big doubts as to who I should start in the flex position. My options are Tashard Choice, Rickie Williams and Roddy White. I like Choice’s matchup against the Chiefs, but with Barber recovering, I fear a dip in his workload. Rickie Williams is playing well, and with Pennington out, he could see enough of the ball to produce good numbers, but I don’t particularly like the Jets matchup. Roddy has been rusty, but as my top draft pick at WR, I feel that I shouldn’t abandon him completely, and I’m confident he will start to produce at some point, I’m just not sure it will be against a strong 49’ers D.”

Michael, thanks for the email. I am pretty sure I would roll with Tashard Choice. He plays against the worst rushing defense in the league, or at least one of them, and while Barber is expected to play, he’s not going to be fully healthy and the Cowboys didn’t want to make him carry the ball every time even when he was fully healthy. Choice is a very good runner that explodes through the line, and he has a very good chance to get a lot of carries for the Cowboys, especially if they get up early against the Chiefs. I wouldn’t start Ricky just because he’s going against the Jets. New York is great against the run, and they certainly won’t be too worried about Chad Henne beating them all day. Roddy is a great player, but until I’m convinced they are going to try and get him the ball, I’m going to stay away from him against great defenses. He’s a beast, always a threat to make a big play, but Nate Clements is one of the best defensive backs in the league, and thus I expect him to give Roddy a tough time all day long. In a better match-up, I would definitely give Roddy a shot. All’s not lost with him, but hopefully the Falcons will start taking chances with their best receiver… I think the match-up insists that Dallas could be up early and up big, and if that’s the case, why would they waste Marion and risk getting him hurt just for mop up duty in the 2nd half? That will be choice’s job, a job he’ll do very well, and he rates out highly as a flex option for me this week. (now of course Roddy White blows up, and Ricky did work too, luckily for me Teshard was plenty for Michael to win his league, even though he started Sims-Walker: he was luckier than me in that regard!)

BSimmons wrote in, “I have a question on which WR to start. Donald Driver is out for me this week and I have Nate Burleson, Donnie Avery and Braylon Edwards with his new team.. Who should I start?? Thanks in advance!”

I think your starter is Nate Burleson, and by a long shot. I’d either wait for Edwards to prove himself in New York, or sell him to someone who loves him in New York. It’s hard to join a team in Week 5 and be a plus player the rest of the year. Chris Chambers wasn’t very good for San Diego a few years back, and Roy Williams did nothing in Dallas last season. I don’t know of a situation where a mid season trade at receiver went well for that receiver’s fantasy stats. Avery is a nice talent, but he’s still battling a hamstring injury, and his QB situation is brutal at best. I’d leave him on your bench until he proves that he’s completely healthy. Nate has a great match-up against a porous secondary, and he gets nearly 10 targets a game or something like that. I like him as a start this week. Hope that helps! (all of these guys had nice weeks, but I found the top gun of the three, as Nasty Nate finished with 10 more points than either Donnie or Braylon – that being said, Braylon really impressed me for the Jets, he could be a solid play the rest of the season. I wonder if he eats into Jericho’s numbers?)

Stuck in a Trailer writes, “I’m stuck in a trailer in Colorado. I figured my best bet was to ask you my fantasy question this week. Do I really sit Steve Smith (NYG), my other receivers are Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, and Mike Sims-walker. A lot of people seem to think these guys are the better choice this week. What’s your thought? Thanks!”

Has the snow begun or what? Jammed up in a trailer, I can see sitting Steve Smith. Anquan Boldin has a great match-up against the Houston Texans secondary, Larry Fitz should get lots of attention, and you know Kurt and company will be throwing the ball. Calvin Johnson plays against a Steelers secondary that has been brutal against the pass this season. And Mike Sims-Walker goes against the Seahawks, minus their only stud corner (Trufant) and in a huge rut the last three weeks. Steve has a tough match-up with Nnamdi but you’re right, it’d be tough for me to sit him after all he’s done. I’m not sure he’s the type of receiver that Oakland will try to take away with their top corner, but there’s a chance. If I were going to sit one guy and play Smith, I would sit Calvin Johnson, if only because if I was Pittsburgh I would just try to blitz the snot out of Culpepper with double coverage on Calvin. So yes, I would probably end sitting Steve Smith, but it’s a coin flip with Calvin. Steve has the tougher match-up, and is playing against a bad Oakland team so Eli won’t be throwing as much. Hope this helps! (who knew Calvin would get hurt immediately and Mike Sims-Walker would not even get to play because he broke a curfew or something – sorry man, hope the Trailor is warming up! – At least I helped him out properly with this next one…

” Stuck in a Trailer tries me again, “Thanks for the Quick reply. I just might sit Steve this week and hope it proves to be one of those decisions I can brag about. Your input was helpful in my decision making so I thought I might get your take on one more conundrum. DeAngelo Williams, Clinton Portis or Reshard Mendenhall. Can only pick two and so far I think I have switched them around about nine times. No snow as of yet, but between awaiting your responses I’m stocking the wood shed.”

This Week’s Early Questions:

David in Minnesota sent a fearsome foursome of questions my way, “Maclin or Manningham who will be better in the long run? Chester Taylor, Jamal Lewis, Derrick Ward, or Fred Jackson which of these would you keep and why? What about giving up Manningham for Sims-Walker, would you make that deal? How would you rank the following and why: Royal,Collie, Nicks Hakeem, and Crabtree.I am looking for a bye week replacement and a potential WR to take over for TO if he and Edwards don’t get their act together. Thanks for all your help!”

Anytime David – Here are your answers in order of the questions… Career-wise, Maclin, he’s a special dynamic – and this season, it’s a tough one. It depends on what you’re going for. Owning an eagle receiver is a scary gig. How many games will DeSean Jackson have 1 catch for 0 yards? I think Manningham is going to be good for 4-5 catches a week, a touchdown 6 or 7 times, and a decent flex or back-up receiver start. I think Maclin could have a couple no-shows, like Jackson this week, but that’s because the Eagles roll that way. It’s tough, surely, but I think Maclin has a better chance to have a huge week while Manningham has a better chance to be decent week in and week out. But, with the Eagles you really never know. If you want consistency, Manningham is probably your best bet. If you want a shot at big points, Maclin is your lottery ticket. Hope that helps David, that’s the best I can do.

Boy, tough call on those running backs; And it would depend on who your other running backs are. If you’re looking for a guy that might not do anything, but if his starter gets hurt he’ll be a Top 10 back, stick with Chester Taylor. Fred Jackson is another guy like that, but he should probably continue to get fantasy numbers, so keeping him around might be easier, but his upside isn’t as high as Chester’s. Derrick Ward has lost a lot of value with the emergence of Caddy and his health, and the demergence of the Bucs wanting to win this season. Jamal Lewis looks like he’ll get all the carries if he’s healthy, and that offensive line is tough, but I just don’t see the offense in Cleveland being worth while this year, that passing game is quite pukeish. Still, of all the guys you listed, I think Jamal is the surest thing for carries on a weekly basis. He has some tough match-ups, but if you’re looking for a guy to start week in and week out, Lewis might be your answer. Again, not a sure thing answer here, but hope that helps.

As for the WR switch, I would much rather have Sims-Walker….

And finally, I’d take Royal #1 because he is the best receiver you’ve listed, and he’s not a rookie. Hakeem Nicks and Collie are tied, in my mind, they will both be contending with other receivers all year long, and while Collie has been more productive, he’ll lose touches in two weeks when Gonzo returns from injury while Nicks might gain touches as he gets more comfortable with the NFL and Giants’ offense. I like Crabtree a lot, but he’s been out of football for quite some time, remember, he spent much of his off season getting healthy and staying off his foot. His talent is immense, no doubt, but it’s a long shot that he’s a top talent this season, so I’d rate him last out of that bunch, for this season.

“I bet Braylon Edwards thinks he’s died and gone to career heaven.” At least that’s what Josh Arsenault says, and right now I believe him 100%. He’s probably writing thank you letters, sending fat Man-jina sandwiches, and going out to punch little kids as we speak. Dude is celebrating big, and why shouldn’t he? He knows the new offense he’s in, he has a quarterback with a shiny bright future, and a new lease on his football life. Career heaven. Haha. Indeed…. Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn. You say tomato, I say shitty. Everyone was wondering why that donkey Man-jina took so damn long to pick a starting quarterback this year; now you know why. He probably would have rather punched his own face numerous times than anoint one of those over-hyped signal caller’s his starting quarterback. Now we see why Braylon dropped so many balls in Cleveland, he was so damn surprised to see a ball get anywhere close to his hands he didn’t know what to do with the pig skin. 2 for 17, Derek Anderson, are you kidding me? 1 interception? And you win the game? Well, I guess on the bright side he had twice as many completions to his team than to the opponent. The situation in Cleveland is giving JaMarcus Russell something to smile about, at least he’s not a 2 for 17 QB like that guy. You’ve got to start somewhere…. Tom Brady has to be pissed, or maybe he’s to blame? whatever it is, the Patriots draw calls late in the game were pathetic. One of the most accurate passers in the game, with Randy Moss and Wes Welker running routes, ends up handing the ball to Kevin Faulk on back to back plays in hopes of a first down, and what happens? No first down, they have to punt, it goes into overtime, and Josh McDaniel’s Broncos get the win. I may be bitter because I took the Patriots, but there’s just something painfully “careful” about the way the Patriots have been playing, and I don’t like it one bit. When did Mike Holmgren get in Belichick’s ear anyway? After this game, I expect the Patriots to get back to their rifleman way….. It was pointed out to me that the Washington Redskins have yet to play a team coming into a game. They may be just 2-3, and they go up against yet another winless team on Sunday, but even if they get to .500, you’d have to think they have a very tough road ahead. After this Sunday, their days of playing winless teams is likely over, and I imagine their shot at .500 has the same fate. If you can get somebody that believes in Clinton Portis or Santana Moss, you might entertain their offers…. I would be pretty stunned if St. Louis wins a football game this year. I know there are lots of terrible teams this season, and in fact four teams have started 0-5, which is pathetic in and of itself. The Raiders aren’t even one of them. But Kansas City has shown me some promise, and I think they win a couple games. Even Tampa Bay, who most think are hapless, will win a couple by just pounding it out against poor run defenses, they have the talent on the line and in the backfield to run the ball successfully. And Tennessee is just too good to lose more than 10 games, they should finish around .500 (at least) the rest of the way. But the Rams? Where’s their gimmie game? If they don’t win at Jacksonville this week (and I don’t think they have a chance) or in Detroit in Week 8 (I think the Lions kill them), then they will only find a win next to the pot of gold at the end of the freaking rainbow. They are brutal. They have been outscored 146-34 on the season: brutal….. Speaking of the Lions, how good was Daunte Culpepper this weekend? Really good. When you consider that the only real pass threat, and the teams best player, Calvin Johnson, went down with an injury right off the bat, and the fact that Pittsburgh blitzed and hit him all day long, and his running back had 20 carries for 53 yards, that he got his team within a score late in the 4th quarter was flat out amazing. 23 for 37 for 282 yards and a touchdown, for the Lions, without Calvin – please. The Lions best chance to win now is with Pep in at Q. Unfortunately, they still don’t have a great chance to win, and thus Stafford will be back at the helm in no time…. Denver and Cincinnati are good teams. I told you at the beginning of the season, and I’ll tell you again now. Will they continue to win at the rate they are right now? I can’t promise that, but I will say this, both teams will be in nearly every single game this year. Just like Mike Singletary found out this Sunday against Atlanta, every team can have a down game and get blown out, but the Broncos, Bengals, and 49ers for that matter, will be in the thick of things all season long. The tides, they are a changing…. Miles Austin goes big league chew on me (and the Chiefs) this Sunday, and the Cowboys need every one of those yards to walk out of Kansas City with a win? You’ve got to be kidding me. But Miles wasn’t the only Austin to kill me this week. I went into the week starting Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, and Randy Moss as my receivers over two guys with Austin in their names (Miles and Collie), and a rookie that had 6 catches and no touchdowns to his name prior to Week 5, one Jeremy Maclin. And I was stupid enough to think I had a huge advantage. How huge was my advantage? Those three Week 5 super heroes beat my entire fantasy team all by themselves. Maclin put up 146 and a couple scores, Collie scored twice as well, and Miles broke out for 250 yards with 2 scores on 10 catches. Miles Austin > Roy Williams and his ribsies…. Speaking of huge games, Miles just barely beat out Roddy White this week. Roddy had a couple fewer catches and 40 fewer yards, but 210 and 2 scores on 8 catches isn’t too shabby. White was bound to break out, and while I though that would come in a week where he wasn’t being guarded by one of the league’s top corners, Nate Clements, I was dead wrong. Roddy big brothered the Niners all day long, and Matt Ryan put on big boy pants getting his man the ball all day long. Michael Turner’s return to 4+ yards per carry helped as well. With the 49ers struggling to stop the run, that play action pass did wonders for Matt and the Falcons….. Andre Johnson’s play to score his second touchdown will have a place in my eyes as one of the Top 10 plays of the season. As if the catch wasn’t nice enough, he reacted quick enough to run over Karlos Dansby instead of getting trucked himself, he then waived off another tackler, before big brothering the Cardinals safety into the end zone. Dirty. Andre Johnson is an absolute beast….. Brett Favre is on pace to accrue the highest completion percentage of his career. Now I know it’s just Week 6 we’re coming up to, but Brett has the best rushing attack he’s ever had, he gets all the time in the world to throw, and he’s taking fewer Favre-chances than ever before. He’s as accurate as ever, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he kept up his end of the bargain all season long. What has me a little worried is that Adrian Peterson and that ‘Sota running game hasn’t looked nearly as good as it has been over the last couple seasons…. Yeah, you counted right, that’s 11! See you next week!